January In Review

So a little bit of December bled into the beginning of January but it has been a fun month. I just wanted to take a look back and see where I had fun and what I truly enjoyed.I did 27 post this month, not counting this one. That is pretty big. Though, I was all over the place at the start of this blog. I am now finally "settled".



I only brewed twice this month, two 5 gallon batches, but they were both special beers. Ok, so I actually did a Mr Beer Kit as well, but that is for an upcoming post in a few days. I just wanted to get my tasting notes into there as well... I don't image it being pretty but lets talk about some good beers.

Pirates Booty, a Robust Oaked Rum Porter that some of the spent grain ended up being turned into Doggy Biscuits.

Also, my unnamed Flanders Red. This sour hopefully turns out good and last the test of time so that it will grow along with the little one for a number of years.

I will post further updates on those as they progress in the fermentation and aging process. I posted about Santa Berry as well.

This month I also wrote two non-beer reviews. A great Bourbon, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and a great Shiraz, Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz. One was kind of beer related but, you know. Still not the same.

I got sent a couple of Beers From Home this year, Silver City St Florian IPA & Fremont Interurban IPA. I actually got a bottle of The Dissident from Deschutes as well, but that is for a review I am writing up after April about Conflux No. 1: Collage. I wish I was into beer before I left Washington, but I guess that gives me more to look forward to when I do go back.

I've done my second Side By Side comparison, The Lost Abbey Mo Betta Bretta vs New Belgium Brett Beer, and I am trying to put together quite a few more. Just need to figure out what beers should be a part of it. The first being Allagash White vs Blue Moon.

I got my first taste of Jolly Pumpkin this month, Calabaza Blanca. Even though I was not a fan there are several others I want to find and try. I got some great suggestions so I hope to find those soon.

And to finish things off, in Alphabetical order, my

Top Beers Of The Month:
Epic Fermentation Without Representation
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter.
Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine
New Belgium La Folie
Sierra Nevada Narwhal

This seems to have been a big month. I can only imagine what is ahead of me in my Beer-Ventures.

Cheers!

Saint Florian IPA

I may be from Tacoma, WA and a Big Beer Dork, but I don't get much opportunity to drink Pacific Northwest Beer. I get Deschutes, Widmer, and a lot of the bigger, well known beers but the smaller, local beers I have no idea about. It is not because I don't seek out the beers. It is just because I left the area and when I did live there I was still drinking not the tastiest of beers.



I got Saint Florian in the mail from my sister, so I guess my family really does know what I want. I have never had anything from this brewery before, but I would love to check it out once I go back home for whatever reason. Saint Florian India Pale Ale is actually a beer with a cause. Which makes you feel that much better as you are drinking it.

Saint Florian, the Patron Saint of Firefighters, is now a Northwest IPA. A portion of Saint Florian’s proceeds will go to a Washington State Council of Firefighters Benevolent Fund. Silver City Brewery has a long standing partnership & tradition of working with our local Firefighters. The Benevolent Fund supports firefighters and their families as well as the general public, in their time of need.

This beer has the classic citrus and piney flavors of a West Coast IPA but it is not over powered or over bittered. Very well balanced and it has a very nice malty body and mouthfeel. I like that a lot. The flavors of the beer build on and come together with each other. I am sure it mellowed out a bit but I would love to try this fresh. I think the bottle is date stamped 100912. I got this in the mail, so I can't really help that but it is still a very nice beer.

Though, there is something in this beer that I do not like. I wish I could pinpoint what exactly the taste is. I have had it in several other beers but in this one it is not so heavy and pronounced. At first I thought maybe it was the hop Nelson Sauvin. But in all the beers I have had, there is nothing that leads me to know for sure. Silver City list the ingredients for this IPA and Nelson Sauvin is not one of them. Maybe it is the yeast... Anyway though, this is still a damn fine IPA. I enjoyed it a lot more than many others I have had despite that flavor. This one goes in all the right directions. Even though it was not fresh. 4/5

Cheers!